A Christmas Surprise
by SteelCityMagnolia
Summary: It's Christmas and with Gage gone, Sydney is faced with spending the holiday alone. Can a little girl's faith and belief in Santa Claus make Sydney's holiday a little brighter?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Walker, Texas Ranger characters within this story, nor is any ownership implied.**

The door to the Rangers' Company B office opened and Sydney Cooke jumped. Realizing it wasn't her partner, she let out an audible, frustrated sigh and blew her hair out of her eyes. She tried to refocus on the paperwork on her desk, but it was useless.

From two desks over, her co-worker noticed her frustration. "No word yet from Gage, huh?" Trivette asked.

"Nothing," Sydney huffed. Grabbing her jacket, she stood and pushed back her chair. "I'm starving. I'm going to get lunch."

"It's only eleven o'clock," Trivette reminded her.

"So? I'm hungry."

"We had bagels this morning."

"And you all ate all the good bagels. There were only cinnamon raisin bagels left when I got here," Sydney complained.

"Nothing wrong with cinnamon raisin," Trivette replied.

"Stupid little rabbit turds," Sydney muttered over her very strong dislike of raisins. "If they're so great, why didn't you eat the raisin bagels and save me something good like strawberry or blueberry? It's your fault I'm starving," Sydney retorted. "I'm getting lunch. Tell Walker I'll be back," Sydney called over her shoulder as she headed for the door. Just as she reached the door, it opened, and assistant DA Alex Cahill-Walker walked in.

"Hey, Alex," Sydney greeted her friend, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm just on my way for lunch, want to go with me?"

"Actually, I'm going to CD's to help Marta get ready for the children's Christmas party, why don't you come along?" Alex responded.

"Oh. I forgot that was tonight. I was kind of thinking about skipping that," Sydney tried without much success to hide her disappointment.

"Come on, Syd. You've never skipped the Christmas party before. What's wrong?"

"I'm just not feeling very Christmassy this year, Alex."

"I know it's not the same without Gage around, but you really should go. And besides, I know Marta can use our help getting things together for tonight. At least come with me and help us get everything together. If you don't feel much like staying after that, I promise you can go home and I won't say a word," Alex's words were both soothing and convincing and Sydney agreed.

"Just let me drop these files off for Walker and I'll meet you downstairs in a couple minutes." Alex's blond curls bounced as she turned and walked toward her husband's office.

* * *

Sydney headed downstairs to wait for Alex. Taking a seat on a bench just inside the entrance to their building, she took out her cell phone and checked her voicemail and text messages.

"Damn," she hissed under her breath. No messages from Gage. It had been three weeks since she had last heard from him and she was genuinely worried. She had no way of getting in touch with him, either. When he first left, he had called her every night. Then the calls went to text messages at odd times of day, and then nothing. For three weeks now, not a word. This wasn't the first time Gage had gone undercover, but it was the first time he'd been gone this long, and without Sydney with him. Syd knew her partner could take care of himself and she shouldn't worry, but she couldn't help it. Her feelings for Gage went far deeper than just co-worker to co-worker. What made it worse was that Christmas was just days away and she couldn't stand the thought of spending the holiday without him.

"Hey, sweetheart," Walker stood to greet his wife with a kiss when she walked in. "How is your day going?"

"Nice and quiet. Things are finally slowing down for the holidays. I'm headed to CD's to help Marta get ready for the Christmas party. I hope you don't mind, I'm taking Sydney with me," Alex replied.

"Stealing my staff away from me, I see," Walker laughed. "Go ahead. It's pretty quiet around here, too, and I think Trivette and I have everything under control. And Sydney could use some time away from the office."

"Has anyone heard anything from Gage?" Alex asked, cautiously hopeful.

"Well, Captain Briscoe called me this morning. He said it looked like things were pretty well wrapped up. They just need to collect depositions and finish paperwork and he figures that Gage could be on his way back here in a day or so."

"Oh, honey! That is wonderful news! Sydney will be so happy!"

"Well, don't say anything to Sydney just yet, just in case things don't work out. Besides, I have a feeling Gage will want to surprise her," Walker said knowingly.

"My lips are sealed," Alex promised with a smile.

"I just know I'll be happy to have him back. I had a lot of reservations about this assignment," Walker said, flipping through the files that Alex had brought him. "Going undercover to try to break up a drug smuggling ring at the Mexican border was dangerous enough. Finding out it involved the Salazar cartel didn't make me feel any more comfortable about it."

"I know, honey. We'll all be glad when Gage is home safe. Especially Sydney. See you at the Christmas party after work?"

"I'll see you then," Walker gave his wife a kiss as she walked out the door.

* * *

At CD's, Marta welcomed Alex and Sydney warmly. "I am so happy to see you ladies! We have so much work to do this afternoon!" Then she noticed Sydney's glum expression. Putting an arm around Sydney's slim shoulders, she gave her a hug. "What's wrong, honey? It's Christmas! The most wonderful time of the year!"

"I'm sorry, Marta. I'm just not really feeling it this Christmas," Sydney answered as tears began to sting her eyes.

"Well, Marta can fix that. Let me get you something to eat. Good food fixes everything!" Marta headed for the kitchen while Sydney and Alex took a seat at one of the booths.

"Oh, Syd," Alex began sympathetically, "I have been where you are so many times. I know it's rough. But you have to have faith that everything is okay. Gage is very good at his job. That's why Walker sent him. He's got a good head on his shoulders and he's been very well trained," Alex reached across the table and took Sydney's hands in hers. "He's okay, and he's going to be okay," she reassured her friend with a smile.

"I know, Alex. It's just that this is the first time he's gone on an undercover assignment for this long without me, and I just can't help but worry. That, and it's Christmas. You know, we've spent every Christmas together since we've met. We always get a tree and decorate it and make popcorn and watch Christmas movies. It's just not going to be Christmas unless Gage and I end up in a popcorn fight somewhere between 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'A Christmas Story.'" Sydney tried to laugh at the memory, but the laugh got stuck somewhere in her throat.

Alex raised a mental eyebrow. For two people who insisted they were only work partners and good friends, that sounded like a lot more to her. She resisted the urge to press Sydney about what was really going on between her and Gage. Besides, Alex knew she wouldn't get anywhere. When it came to whatever relationship Sydney and Gage had, they were both very tight-lipped about it even though they had the complete support of their friends – Trivette and Erika, Walker and herself. Even CD had hoped the pair would get together and Walker was willing to overlook the department's fraternization rules if it meant the two – who were obviously perfect for each other – could bring their relationship into the open.

"That sounds like a fun way to spend Christmas. You know, you are always welcome to spend the day with Walker and me, and I am sure Angela would love to see her favorite aunt on Christmas, too. You may have to watch Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman on repeat instead, but you are always, always welcome. You are family to us."

"Thank you, Alex," Sydney replied gratefully. She hated to be in such a miserable mood at Christmas, especially when she had such wonderful friends. She just wished Gage was home to share the holiday with her.

"Here you go, ladies," Marta brought out a tray with drinks and sandwiches, setting them down on the table and, after checking around the room to be sure nobody else needed anything at the moment, scooting into the booth next to Sydney.

"I came up with the best idea for the kids! A cookie decorating table! Isn't that fun?" Marta clapped her hands gleefully.

"Cookie decorating? With icing?" Sydney asked "I think that sounds crazy messy!"

"Not to mention the sugar high those kids will be on," Alex added.

"So what! It's Christmas! Let the kids have a little fun! Besides, they're not my kids!" Marta laughed.

Sydney and Alex looked at each other and shook their heads. Marta loved Christmas and she loved planning and preparing for the children's Christmas party. Whatever she planned to do for it, she was going to do and there was no talking her out of it.

"Marta," Alex began, "Who is playing Santa this year since Gage is off on an assignment?"

Sydney set her sandwich down and looked out the window. Alex had hit a raw nerve with that question. Gage had an especially soft spot for the kids that came to the children's Christmas party because most of them were in circumstances similar to the ones in which he grew up– in and out of foster care. As a result, Gage's favorite thing to do at the holidays was to play Santa Claus at the Christmas party. He really got into it, spending a lot of time with every child and doing everything he could to make sure each one felt very special. Sydney loved watching him interact with the kids. It was one of the things she looked forward to most every Christmas.

Marta grinned. "Your Captain Briscoe is going to be Santa Claus this year."

"Captain Briscoe!" Alex's jaw dropped and she stared at Marta incredulously.

Sydney had been in the middle of taking a drink of her iced tea. The idea of the usually serious, no-nonsense Captain dressed up as Santa struck her so funny that she snorted a laugh – with a mouthful of tea that ended up across the table.

"And you were worried about the little kids being messy," Marta chastised jokingly, pulling a handful of napkins out of her apron pocket and wiping up the table.

"How did you talk him into that?" Sydney asked once she recovered from the shock.

"He's been divorced for too long and I make some mighty fine tamales," Marta replied sassily, before sashaying away to tend to a customer.

* * *

When Walker got to the party around six o'clock, CD's was as merry as the North Pole, with Christmas music playing on the jukebox, Christmas lights strung from one side of the room to the other, and a Christmas tree that looked about ready to fall over from the weight of all the ornaments adorning it. Children were everywhere in the room; laughing, playing games, decorating gingerbread cookies, and all awaiting a visit from Santa himself.

Alex greeted her husband with a kiss, "Any word on Syd's Christmas surprise?"

"Nothing yet," Walker answered.

"I hope he makes it home, Walker. You have no idea what it would mean to her."

"Oh, believe me, I know," Walker replied.

Sydney had been sitting at the cookie decorating table with a little girl in a red jumper and pigtails named Anya. Anya had lost her parents and most of her six brothers and sisters in a house fire earlier in the year, and Sydney couldn't help but feel inspired by the little girl's resilience and faith. For being only five years old, Anya was quite wise and very smart, and she could sense something was wrong with Sydney.

"Ranger Sydney, why are you sad?" the little girl asked.

"Oh, I'm just missing somebody I had hoped to spend Christmas with, that's all. Let's not worry about me. Do you want to put sugar or sprinkles on your cookie?"

"Sugar. And sprinkles. Did somebody you want to spend Christmas with die?" Anya continued.

"Oh, no, Anya. They're just far away. Sometimes grown-ups have to do that, go far away from their friends and family for a little while," Sydney answered, hoping with all her heart that she was right and that nothing had happened to Gage.

"Oh." Anya looked thoughtful for a moment. "Like Emery's daddy. He's in Afgabisan."

"Afghanistan," Sydney corrected. "Yes, like that. He had to go far away."

"I miss my mommy and daddy and Ava and Aliyah and Andre and Aron," Anya said. "They're in heaven. I talk to Jesus every day and tell him to tell them I miss them a lot. Maybe you can tell Jesus to tell your friend how much you miss them. And maybe Jesus will tell them 'Ranger Sydney misses you and you have to go home right now.'" Anya emphasized each of the last few words by tapping her sticky, icing-covered finger on the table.

Sydney smiled. 'Oh, to have the faith of a little child,' she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of jingle bells and a loud 'ho ho ho,' as the door to CD's opened and Santa Claus walked in to the squeals of delight from the children. Captain Briscoe certainly pulled off a convincing Kris Kringle. Anya stood and ran to greet him, leaving Sydney with her thoughts and a table full of cookies and icing. Sydney chose a gingerbread man, slathered on a generous amount of icing, and bit his head off.

* * *

Sydney was sitting with Alex and Walker when Anya came running up to her.

"Ranger Sydney! Look what Santa brought me!" Anya showed her a doll with pigtails much like Anya wore. "And she talks, too! Listen!" Anya held the doll up to Sydney's ear so Syd could hear the doll babble something.

"She's so pretty, Anya, and she looks just like you! What are you going to name her?"

Anya thought for a minute, "Umm, Sydney!"

"Well, I think that's a perfect name," Alex chimed.

"Ranger Sydney, I told Santa that you were missing somebody and that you wanted them to come home for Christmas and he said that you needed to go sit on his lap and tell him yourself so he could put your Christmas wish on his list," Anya sounded very pleased with herself for remembering to ask Santa to fulfill Sydney's Christmas wish.

Sydney looked at Alex and Walker over Anya's head and grimaced. No way was she willing to sit on Captain Briscoe's lap and admit to him just who she was really missing!

" _Come on_ , Ranger Sydney! Santa has to go soon and you have to tell him!" Anya grabbed Sydney's hand and tugged, trying to pull her out of her chair.

"Oh, Anya, I think Santa has his hands full with all the kids here, don't you think?"

"But you _have_ to tell him or you won't get your wish! Santa can do this for you, I _know_ he can!" Anya pleaded.

"You really can't argue with logic like that. You may as well give in and pay the Big Man a visit," Walker smiled. Sydney shot him an icy glare as she relented and let Anya lead her to Santa.

"Santa! Santa! This is my friend Ranger Sydney. She's the one who is missing somebody and wants them to come home for Christmas. Can you please bring her friend home for her, please?" Anya tugged on Santa's sleeve as she begged him to help.

"Well, Anya," Santa spoke softly, "I don't know if I can bring Ranger Sydney's friend home, but I will do my very best." Turning to Sydney, Santa spoke again as he pulled her down on his lap, "Now, tell me about this friend, Ranger Cooke."

Sydney was shocked. Certainly Captain Briscoe wouldn't be so bold – but wait! There was Captain Briscoe standing with Marta at the kitchen door! Syd turned her head to find herself eye to ocean-blue eyes with….

"Merry Christmas, Syd!" Gage whispered, smiling broadly and hugging his arm tight around her waist. Sydney's eyes and mouth went wide with surprise. When did Gage get home, and how did she not realize that he was Santa?

"Merry Christmas, Santa," Sydney whispered in reply, fighting joyful tears. "I wasn't expecting this at all!"

"That's why it's called a surprise," Gage teased. "Let me go get Santa back to the North Pole and I'll be right back," he stood and called out a goodbye to the kids as he walked out of CD's.

* * *

A little while later, after he'd changed out of the Santa costume and into his usual jeans and button-down shirt, Gage walked back in to CD's to a chorus of welcome backs and hugs from his friends. He gathered Sydney into a big hug.

"Welcome home," Sydney said, closing her eyes and snuggling into Gage's arms, relishing the feeling of his arms around her. "When did you get back?

"Late this afternoon." Gage reluctantly released Sydney from his grasp before their hug drew any attention from their co-workers.

"Why didn't you call me? I was so worried about you!"

"I wanted to surprise you! And I was in a hurry to get here so I could play Santa. You know how much that means to me," Gage reminded his petite partner.

"I know. I'm so glad you didn't have to miss it."

Anya ran up to them "Ranger Sydney, is this the friend you wanted to come home?"

"Yes, it is. Anya, this is my partner, Ranger Gage."

Anya looked up at Gage and shyly said hello to him. Then she looked back at Sydney. "I told you Santa would bring your friend home for Christmas! I _knew_ he could do it!" the little girl chortled gleefully. Then looking from Sydney to Gage and back, Anya tugged at Sydney's hand, pulling Syd down to her level. Anya whispered to her loudly, "Ranger Sydney, is Ranger Gage your _boy_ friend?"

Sydney blushed. "Well, Anya, he's a boy and he's my friend, so does that answer your question?

"Nooooo, that's not what I mean," Anya giggled and then turned and ran to join a few of the other children gathering around Walker as he was getting ready to read them the story of the first Christmas. Sydney heard Gage chuckle.

"Smart kid, isn't she?" he said, as they took seats at the bar.

"Too smart," Sydney replied. "I could not believe she told Santa I was missing somebody."

"It was very sweet of her, and it made me feel good to know I was missed," Gage said, moving slightly closer to Sydney.

"Was I missed?" Sydney asked, looking into Gage's ice-blue eyes.

Gage ran his hand up and down Syd's arm. The simple gesture gave her goosebumps. "Do I even have to answer that? The hardest part of that whole assignment was being away from you and not knowing if I could get home to spend Christmas with you. I hated the idea of you decorating a Christmas tree and watching movies all by yourself."

Sydney felt her heart flip-flop inside her chest. "I wasn't even going to get a tree if you weren't here. I wasn't looking forward to Christmas at all. But that all changed in a hurry. I think this might be the best Christmas ever," Sydney said happily, contentedly settling herself next to Gage to listen to Walker tell the Christmas story.

Marta approached the couple from the other side of the bar and cleared her throat to get their attention. Gage and Sydney both turned to find her holding a sprig of mistletoe over their heads.

"Merry Christmas, you two," Marta said with a smile as she looked up at the mistletoe and then nodded at the pair.

Gage looked up at the mistletoe and then back at Sydney. "I always wondered if that stuff actually works," he teased.

Gage placed his hand on the back of Sydney's neck and drew her close, leaning in to kiss her softly. For a moment, Sydney forgot where she was. All she had really wanted for Christmas was for Gage to come home safe. A kiss was definitely a bonus, and something their co-workers and Captain Briscoe should not be seeing. Remembering where she was, Sydney broke off the kiss, a bright-red blush coloring her cheeks.

"I'd say it works pretty well," Sydney said, smiling up at her handsome blond partner. "Maybe we should get some of that when we get the Christmas tree?" she added teasingly, hoping that by joking around, she could hide how flustered she suddenly felt.

"Nah, I think I can handle things just fine on my own," Gage replied with a wink and a grin. "And you're right," he continued, "This just might be the best Christmas ever."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I added this chapter based on a suggestion from SaltyMama1315. She had suggested a second chapter to my original "A Christmas Surprise" story, and I liked the idea. This is a thank-you for her wonderful support since I've joined the FFN community. Enjoy!**

"Gage, I'm telling you that tree is not going to even fit through the front door," Sydney stamped her feet, partly to try to warm up and partly out of impatience. They had been at the Christmas tree lot for close to an hour and Gage's quest for the perfect Christmas tree was starting to grate on Syd's last nerve.

"Okay, then, what about this one?" Gage pulled another tree off of the rack.

"It has giant bare spot on that one side," Sydney pointed to one side of the tree that was missing branches.

"You are too picky," Gage teased. "We can put that side in the corner. You'll never see it."

"Gage, it's not going in the corner. It's going in front of the living room window. It won't work," Sydney huffed impatiently.

"Well, then, we'll get this one," Gage pulled the too-big tree back off the rack.

"Gage, I'm telling you, unless you plan on cutting that tree in half, the only way it's going to fit in my living room is if it's bent over like a picture in a Doctor Seuss book. No."

The attendant at the tree lot snickered. He remembered the tall blond ranger and his petite partner from the last couple of years. Every year was the same. He wanted the biggest tree on the lot; she had to remind him that the biggest tree was just not going to work. They'd bicker back and forth until they finally settled on a tree they both decided was perfect.

That's exactly how it happened again this year. Gage pulled a tree off the rack and looked it over.

"What do you think of this one, Syd?" he asked, turning the tree around so she could look it over.

Syd looked at the tree and rubbed the needles between her fingers. "Mmm, it smells like Christmas," she said, breathing in the pine scent. "This is the one, Gage, it's perfect."

"Am I good or what?" Gage teased as Sydney rolled her eyes at him. "I do know how to pick a Christmas tree."

"Well, how good are you at getting it home? I'm freezing!" Sydney rubbed her hands together and jammed them in her pockets. It was two days before Christmas and a cold snap had hit the Dallas area just in time for the holiday, adding to the season's festive feel.

* * *

Once they were home and had the tree up in its stand, Gage set to work untangling and stringing the lights while Sydney lit some cinnamon candles, turned on her gas fireplace, and tuned the radio to a local station that was playing all Christmas music. It set the perfect mood. With the lights finally on the tree, Sydney opened up her box of old Christmas ornaments. Some of them were hand-me-downs from her grandmother, some were gifts from friends over the years, and some were just little treasures she'd picked up here and there to remind her of things that had happened throughout her life. She and Gage began hanging ornaments on the tree while Elvis Presley's 'Blue Christmas' started to play in the background. Gage sang along in his best worst Elvis imitation.

" _I'll have a blue Christmas without you_

 _I'll be so blue just thinking about you"_

Sydney laughed as Gage added some Elvis-like hip swivels for good measure.

"Thank you, thank you very much," Gage spoke in a deep Elvis voice, crooking his lip Elvis-style, which sent Sydney into a fit of giggles.

"You are too much! Please don't do that in public," Syd laughed breathlessly as Gage continued his Elvis imitation, "Ever!"

"What's the matter, Syd? I thought you liked Elvis," Gage asked, wrapping his arms around Sydney's waist and pulling her to him while he continued gyrating his hips like the King.

"I do like Elvis," Sydney tried to wiggle out of Gage's grasp, but he held tight, "you, however, need some practice."

"Oh, do I?" Gage pulled Sydney even closer and bent his head to cover her lips with his. His kiss was gentle at first but grew more insistent as Sydney wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Now that," Sydney spoke when they came up for air, "you have mastered perfectly." Gage responded with another perfect kiss. 

* * *

With the tree finally decorated to Sydney's liking and the only light in the room coming from the candles and fireplace and the lights on the tree, Gage and Sydney curled up together on Sydney's couch.

"So you really missed me?" Gage asked, idly twirling a strand of Sydney's long, dark hair around his finger.

"If you don't believe me, ask Alex or Trivette. I was driving everyone nuts," Sydney replied. She rose up to look Gage directly in the eye. "I hated every second you were gone. It's one thing for both of us to be on an undercover assignment. Together. But not knowing where you were or how things were going or if you were safe, Gage, that had me about out of my mind. I should have gone with you."

"No Syd, that assignment was no job for a woman." As soon as he said the words, Gage knew he had ventured onto thin ice. Sydney's eyes filled with fury and she shoved herself away from him to sit at the opposite end of the couch.

"Really, Gage? Really? So I'm the 'weaker sex?' Is that what you think?" The words stung as if Sydney were throwing darts.

"No, Syd. Come back here." Gage reached over to her and pulled her back next to him. Sydney wanted to fight him but didn't. She let him wrap his arms around her and kiss the top of her head. "That was not what I meant. Salazar and his people were the worst I've ever seen. Worse than the Ortegas. Worse than El Leon. I saw things on that assignment that they don't put in horror movies. I don't even want to think of what they could have done to you. Walker was right not to send you in there with me. All I could think of was keeping myself alive and getting out of there and back to you," Gage wrapped his arms around Syd and held her tight, kissing her forehead gently. As he kissed his way to her lips, he tasted her salty tears.

"Hey, hey, what's this all about?" Gage cupped her face in his hand, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"I feel awful. That assignment and the things you saw were so bad, and I'm having a fit because I couldn't go. I feel like a spoiled brat," Sydney sniffled.

"No, don't feel like that." Gage hugged Sydney's head against his chest, feeling her sigh as she felt his heartbeat. "Shorty, I love that you missed me. Makes me feel good. And I missed you, too."

Sydney raised her head up, meeting Gage's ice-blue eyes with her own dark eyes. She didn't have to say a word.

"Yes, really," Gage answered to the unspoken question between them. "And I can show you." He ran one hand through the silk of her hair, finally pulling her to him to kiss her hard, while the other hand teased underneath her shirt. Sydney's fingers tangled in his blond hair, keeping them locked in a deep kiss that was broken by the ringing of Syd's cell phone.

"Damn it," Gage muttered, running his hands through his hair. "If that's Walker, we're not here."

"Not Walker," Sydney replied, holding her phone up, "It's Alex." She answered the call.

After speaking to Alex for a few minutes, Sydney canceled the call on her phone and turned to Gage. "Alex wants us to join them for Christmas dinner. Seems she heard how dangerous your assignment was and she wants us all together for Christmas."

Gage smiled a half-smile. He understood Alex and her sense of family. For somebody who didn't have any family but his sister Julie growing up, it meant a lot to him. "But what if I wanted to spend Christmas with you?"

"You will. You'll just be spending it with Alex, Walker, Trivette, and Erika, too."

"I mean _only_ you," Gage said huskily, pulling Sydney close to him.

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve," Sydney reminded the handsome blond ranger. "You have all of tomorrow."

"And since I'm already here, I can get started tonight," Gage teased, wrapping his arms around the petite brunette. "So, where were we?" he asked, bowing his head to continue the kiss that Alex's phone call had interrupted.

* * *

When Gage got to Sydney's house the next afternoon, he found her in the kitchen in a flour-covered apron, a streak of flour across her cheek, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"What's all this?" Gage asked, greeting Sydney with a kiss and trying to wipe the flour smudge off her face.

"I found my grandmother's cookie recipes and decided to try a few." Sydney pulled a tray of round cookies from the oven. "These are her Mexican wedding cookies."

"Wedding cookies? What are you trying to tell me, Syd?" Gage raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Not a thing. It's just what they're called." Sydney swatted at him with the dishtowel she was using for a pot holder. "Here." She picked a cookie up from a tray on the table. It looked similar to the ones she just took out of the oven except it was covered with powdered sugar. "Try one."

Gage bit into the cookie she offered. "Oh, oooh," he made an exaggerated grimaced face. "These are terrible!"

"What do you mean, terrible, Francis Gage? Those cookies are amazing!"

"I mean they are so terrible you shouldn't let anyone else eat them but me!"

"Gage!" Sydney swatted at him again with the dishtowel still in her hands. Gage grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, kissing her.

"You are delicious," he whispered after a few moments of kissing, "and so are your cookies. I was just teasing, you know."

"I know," Sydney replied, brushing flour off of Gage's dark green button-down shirt.

"And you look absolutely adorable in that apron," Gage continued, leaning in to kiss Sydney along the jaw and then down her neck.

Sydney moaned softly and then pushed Gage away. "I have cookies in the oven that'll burn if you don't let me go."

"Are we eating cookies for dinner or do you want me to run out and pick something up?" Gage asked, stealing a cookie off of the tray and juggling it in his hands to cool it before taking a bite.

"The only thing open tonight is probably Pang's if you're interested in Chinese," Sydney answered, pulling the tray away from Gage before he could snatch another cookie. Pang's was their favorite place for Chinese. "Why don't you go grab us dinner and I'll clean up the mess here."

* * *

Gage and Sydney ate Christmas Eve dinner on the floor in Sydney's living room by the glow of the fireplace and the Christmas tree lights. When they'd finished, Sydney gathered up the empty containers and took them to the kitchen while Gage chose a movie for them to watch.

Sydney returned to find Gage on the couch. He held his arms open, motioning for her to join him. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Miracle on 34th okay with you?" Gage asked

"Perfect," Sydney purred contentedly. She loved their Christmas movie-watching marathon tradition and was so happy Gage was home to continue it this Christmas.

"We forgot about these," Gage held out his hand, two fortune cookies in his outstretched palm.

Sydney took one. "You go first."

Gage opened the wrapper and broke open the fortune cookie to pull out the tiny slip of paper. "You are about to embark on an incredible journey toward happiness," he read. "Interesting."

"Well, of course you are. You're with me. How could you be any happier?" Sydney teased. She opened her cookie and read the words printed on the enclosed fortune. "A wonderful surprise awaits you." She pursed her lips in thought. "I think this one is a little late. I got my wonderful surprise the other night when you came home." She snuggled closer to Gage and kissed him at the base of the neck where his shirt was unbuttoned. Gage closed his eyes and tried to keep his breathing in check.

"Really?" he asked when he was finally able to speak.

"Best Christmas ever," Sydney smiled up at him as the movie began.

Gage couldn't concentrate on the movie. All he could concentrate on was the beautiful woman who was tangled up in his arms. Sydney was lying across his legs and chest, her head resting in that spot just under his shoulder where she seemed to fit so perfectly. He rested his cheek gently on the top of her head and every so often he would catch the scent of her hair; it smelled like a delicious combination of vanilla and coconut. She was so still that he wasn't sure she was even awake and he was afraid to move for fear of waking her and for fear of her realizing how suddenly aroused he was.

When the movie ended, Gage waited for Sydney to move for the remote.

"I thought you fell asleep on me," he whispered.

"I thought you fell asleep. You're never that quiet." Sydney teased.

"I was just very comfortable. I could get pretty used to this," Gage toyed with Sydney's hair.

"Well, as long as you're housebroken, I guess I can keep you," Sydney joked. "Why don't you pick the next movie and I'll go make us some popcorn."

* * *

Sydney was in the kitchen finishing up the popcorn and getting herself a glass of wine. She had just popped the top off of a bottle of beer for Gage when she heard the soft sound of glass breaking in the living room followed by Gage cursing.

"Gage? Gage, what was that?" she called.

"Knocked an ornament off the tree trying to fix a light," he replied.

Sydney appeared with a broom and dust pan. "That had better not have been one of my grandmother's ornaments."

"I think it was the one that what's-his-name gave you back in college," Gage took the offered tools and proceeded to clean up the broken ornament. He was right. It was an ornament from one of Sydney's ex-boyfriends. Why she'd kept it, she wasn't sure, but it didn't matter that it was broken. She helped Gage clear away the damage and then went back to the kitchen for the popcorn and drinks.

When Sydney returned, Gage was holding one of the presents from under the tree. It was one of Sydney's gifts to him.

"You can open that now if you want," she said. Gage jumped. Sydney had startled him.

"It's just that, well, I didn't have time to do any shopping with being on assignment and all," Gage's voice had a hint of sadness to it.

"Gage, you're home. That's my present this year. That's all I wanted. I was even going to tell Santa." Sydney smiled and handed another smaller package to him. "That one is yours also. Go ahead, open them."

Gage sat back down on the couch and started to open the smaller package. It was a book on classic cars that Sydney knew he had been wanting.

"Oh, Syd, this is great! I had been wanting this book!"

"I know. I was hoping you wouldn't buy it before Christmas."

Gage picked up the larger box. It was heavy. He started opening it and stopped. He began to say something and Sydney held up her hand.

"No, don't feel bad. I got my present at the Christmas party. If you only knew how much I wanted you to come home and then there you were, you'd totally understand. I said this was the best Christmas ever, Gage, and I meant it. Now, open that," Sydney nodded toward the gift in his hands.

Gage unwrapped the large box and lifted the lid. Inside was a soft brown leather jacket, a replacement for his old, worn leather jacket that Sydney didn't know had gotten destroyed on his undercover assignment when he dodged a near-miss from Angel Salazar's knife. That old leather jacket had saved his life. What could have been a fatal wound ended up being nothing more than a minor scratch, but the jacket was ruined. He hadn't told Sydney that part of the story and he didn't plan to. Some things about that assignment she didn't need to know.

Gage took the jacket out of the box and shrugged it on. It was a perfect fit. "Syd, this is awesome. I love it!"

"Your old jacket was looking a bit beat up."

If she only knew. That old jacket was in a dumpster outside a motel somewhere along the Mexican border. "It was in pretty bad shape. This one is perfect. Thank you, Shorty," Gage drew Syd into a grateful kiss. "Merry Christmas, Syd."

"Merry Christmas, Gage."

* * *

As they settled on the couch to watch another movie, something on the tree caught Sydney's eye. She sat up and squinted at the tree, trying to figure out which ornament had a red bow on it.

"What's wrong, Syd?"

"I just don't remember that ornament on the tree." Syd got up and went to the tree to find a small, square box tied with a red satin bow perched carefully on one of the tree's branches.

"What in the world?" she muttered under her breath. That definitely wasn't there before.

"Gage, what's this?"

"What's what?"

"This box." Sydney took the box off of the tree branch and untied the bow. Lifting the lid to the box, she found a diamond ring – a round-cut solitaire in a silver art-deco setting. The ring sparkled in the glow from the Christmas tree lights.

Sydney gasped. Gage crossed the tiny living room in about three steps and caught the box just as Sydney dropped it in surprise.

"I thought you said –" she began

"I didn't. This was my mother's ring. I've kept it for years waiting for the right person and the right moment. Looks like I found them both at the same time." Gage's voice was husky with emotion.

"Is this –" Syd began again.

"Syd, I had a lot of time to think while I was away, and I had a lot to think about. Not seeing you every day and not getting to talk to you all but killed me. I knew the moment I walked in to the Christmas party at CD's. Well, I've known for awhile, but the other night at the Christmas party is what made it all real to me. I don't ever want to be away from you. Ever," Gage dropped down to one knee, holding Sydney's hands in his.

"Say yes, Syd. Say you'll marry me."

Sydney could barely speak. She remembered the fortunes from their cookies. An incredible journey toward happiness and a wonderful surprise. Tears poured down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees and embraced Gage tightly.

"Yes. Yes, Francis Gage, I will marry you!"

* * *

Wrapped together on Sydney's couch in the warm glow of the Christmas tree lights, Sydney held her left hand out and turned it this way and that to watch the diamond on her finger catch the light and sparkle. She sighed contentedly.

Gage tilted her face to him so he could kiss her. Sydney snuggled closer to him. The temperature outside must have dropped and the room had cooled off even with the fireplace going, so Gage pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it lightly over them both.

"Mmm. That feels nice," Sydney murmured into his chest.

"It does."

"Imagine spending every night like this," she whispered.

"I'm imagining a lot of things right now," Gage replied with a slight chuckle.

Sydney playfully slapped his arm. "Tell me that's not the reason you're marrying me," she teased.

"No. I'm marrying you because I absolutely adore you. I love you so much, Syd."

"I love you too, Francis."

"All I ever want to do is make you happy,"

"I'm already happy," Syd sighed. "Blissfully happy."

"Then all I have to do is keep you that way."

Gage pulled Sydney in to a long, tender kiss, running his hands through her hair and down her back, sending chills up and down her spine. "I knew this would be the best Christmas ever," he whispered. "I was right."


End file.
